The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1887-07-15
SECRET OF RUSSIAN IRON.
How an American Discovered the Pro-
cess of Its Manufacture.

How an American Discovered the Pro-
cess of Its Manufacture.
romantic story was developed re-
Gently by the initial steps of building
Russian iron mill at Frecport, u small
town thirty miles north of this city. The
towns people donated the site and So. 900
to firm &c build trere. One of the firm
related to the corresl ondent the following
story:
This win be the first Russian iron
mill ever built outside of Siberia. An
imitation Of Russia iron has been made in
this country for some time, but it is not
impervious to rust. 1mperviousness to
rust is the crucial test of genuine Russia
iron.
There is little history connected with
the introduction of this industry into
America. Few persons imagine what a
risk was run in learning the secret of the
treatment by which Russia iron is made.
There are but three people outside of Rus
sia today that know this secret They
are: Mr.. William II. Rogers, his father,
and his nephew. Mr.. Rogers came into
the possession of the secret in this way:
About eighteen years ago he was sent
out us Pennsylvania state geOlOgist to
Russia. lie had credentials addressed to
Ex-Governor Curtin the minister at St.
Petersburg 1T that time, and was received
with great pOmp and ceremony by Princess
Demitotf, in whose Siberian mines he was
ostenSibly to carry ON his geological in
vestigatiOns. The princess attended him
in person on mis- long Journey, 800 miles
into the Ural mountains, and treated the
American geologist with all the imperial
courtesy according to the most distin-
guiShed foreigner. The Russian mobiles.
too, took a great fancy to Mr.. Rogera, and
insisted that he should purchase a few
million acres of land-in Siberia !, 200. 900
acres is but trifle-and establish an
American colony. Mr.. Rogers said he
hadn't the money.
"'Oh, it won't take much, they said;
"a few million dollars would answer the
purpose
"The offer, however, was declined as
politely as possible without letting the
nobleman know that it was altogether
possible for u Pennsylvania state geoleg:st
to be as poor as the proyerbial Jobs
turkey
''As long as Mr.. Rogers confined his
explorations 70 the miners he att-actrd
little or no suspicion, but as soon as he
set foot inside the iron mills of Princess
DemidoH he was subject to the most VIII
liant espionage 1t mnst be remembered
that al the men in those mills who know
the secret of making Russian iron are
never allowed to quit the mines. 1t is
difficult for Americans to understand how
this is, but to any one who has seen the
inside workings of such despotic govern.
ment as Russia's, the matter is perfectly
plain. All who pass to and from Siberia
are vised and yised again at thousand
different points, nnd the slightest sus-
picion is enough 70 warrant travellers
detention
'0ne day Mr.. Rogers was making mi
Inspection Of The iron mills, when he eTer-
heard one OF the ioreluen say:
" FrhatAs d queer kind Of a geologist.
have my suspicious about hiri,
Mr.. Rogers was not long in making
his arrangements for bidding the delect-
able land of Siberia a final farewell
With the special study he has made Of
iron making before going to Russia, he
was not long In discovering the much
coveted secret, and came home delighted
with his experience as a state gcologist -
Pittsburg Cor Glolie-D Democrat.